 Born in 1906 to a liberal family and
then studied at Oxford
Produced 23 books, hundreds of
essays, broadcasts and newspaper
articles, and over 1,500 reviews
 Wrote about The First World War, The
Cold War, the Second World War, the
War Lords and the Course of German
History
‘Probably the most controversial, and certainly the best known, historian in the Englishspeaking world. In his prime A.J.P. Taylor attracted- and usually bewitched- a wider following
than Macaulay ever dreamt of. Prolific and best selling author, gifted journalist, and sui
generis as a television star, he attempted to transform the historical understanding of his day’
(The Times Obituary 1990)
HIS REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO HISTORY
 Despite his motivations, he made
history accessible to the masses
 Writing style therefore accounted for
this
 Gave TV lectures, radio broadcasts
and appeared in the newspapers
‘His book (The First World War) will immediately be popular with readers averse to
detailed military history’ (Listener)
‘His informal, pithy style makes the book (The War Lords) compelling-even exciting
reading’ (David Charles, the Irish Times)
AFFECT ON OUR APPROACH TO HISTORY
 Revolutionised the accepted
approach to history by bringing it into
the public arena
 Pioneered a new way to reach the
masses
 Paved the way for the expected
role of modern historians
‘These days, we expect historians to be public commentators as well as
university-based academics’ (Professor David Cannadine)
SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS APPROACH
 His approach opposed that of the
traditional Oxford historians
 It contradicted their approach to history
and made it more accessible
 It ironically contradicted the conservative
approach of the BBC which was the platform
for much of his success
 It forecasted the way history would be
presented in the future
‘Taylor was the radical Nonconformist from Manchester whose genius paved his way to
Oxford and a lifelong fight with the southern intellectual and cultural establishment’
(Tristram Hunt)
HIS RADICAL VIEWS
 Blamed the Generals almost entirely
for the many failures during WW1
 Questioned Hitler as the cause of
WW2: ‘Hitler was no more wicked than
many a contemporary statesman’
 Member of the Communist Party
1924-1926 and took a pro-Soviet
stance in the Cold War
‘The generals were overwhelmed… (they) fumbled more or less helplessly’
(A.J.P. Taylor, Preface to The First World War)
AFFECT ON OUR VIEWS
 Due to his approach he had mass appeal
for the gifted delivery of his views
 Opened the boundaries of thought due to
the radical nature of his views
 His views provide the base for modern
historical learning, although not always
agreed with
He says ‘almost anything that is important for an understanding and, indeed,
intellectual digestion of that vast event (The First World War)’ (Observer)
SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS VIEWS
 His
liberal views were significant as
they contradicted traditional thinking
 He broke the mould from
conservative, Oxford styled historians
 Introducing new ideas opened up
debate by creating opposition in thought
‘The most readable, sceptical and original of modern historians…The whole book (The
Origins of The Second World War) convinces as much as it startles’
(Michael Foot in Tribune)
ANY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST HE WAS
INSIGNIFICANT?
 Challenged
by Trevor-Roper whose
work debatably has more lasting
credibility
 A.J.P Taylor’s ‘standing seems in
irretrievable decline’ (Professor David
Cannadine) after his death
 His views could be considered
outdated and unrealistic
Hugh Trevor Roper: “I’m afraid that your book The Origins of The Second World War
may damage your reputation as a historian”. A.J.P. Taylor: “Your criticism of me would
damage your reputation as a historian, if you had one.”
SO HOW SIGNIFICANT IS HE REALLY?
 Despite his work not being unanimously agreed
with today, he still dominated his generation
 His work still provides a useful base from which to
build an understanding of the periods he covered
 He revolutionised the common approach to history
which is still used today by people such as David
Starkey and Adam Hart-Davis
 He was the pioneer in making history accessible
to the masses
 He is arguably the best known and most popular
historian of the twentieth century
He therefore shaped the understanding of the masses, he shapes the
understanding of modern day students, he provides a base for the study of modern
historians and he changed the way they approach history.